Jim Inhofe: Closing U.S. #Military bases comes at the wrong time

As Americans, we are facing a grave threat — one that goes beyond North Korea’s missile tests, Russian aggression in Eastern Europe and the rise of ISIS. Despite these dangerous and challenging national security threats, the readiness crisis is the most profound threat facing our nation today. Our armed forces are smaller than the days of the “hollow force” of the 1970s, and readiness, in the form of personnel, training and equipment, have been degraded to the breaking point. All the while, we have witnessed an uptick in training and operational accidents across the armed forces. While the risks posed by the readiness crisis are significant, Congress is already taking steps to correct the shortfalls. This week, the Senate will consider the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), legislation that will go a long way to closing the readiness gap. Every amendment considered...